Child Endangerment

Orange County Domestic Violence Lawyer

Child endangerment is covered under California penal code section 273a. According to this law, child endangerment may include any of a number of different offenses against or involving a child, including:

• Willful injury to a child - causing or allowing a child to suffer unjustifiable physical pain or emotional trauma.
• Willful harm to a child -allowing or causing a child in one's custody to suffer injury to his or her health or person
• Endangering a child - allowing a child in one's custody to have his or her health or safety endangered

Acts of child endangerment are willful. This means they are intentionally done and that the defendant would have or should have reasonably known of the potential danger and purposefully did nothing to prevent it. For example, a child who falls from a jungle gym because his or her mom was looking the other way for one minute would not necessarily constitute a child endangerment offense. However, a parent who knows that his or her child is being abused by the other parent and yet does nothing to stop, prevent or report this may be charged with child endangerment.

Penalties for Child Endangerment in California

Child endangerment may be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the case. If charged as a misdemeanor, the defendant may face up to 1 year in county jail. A felony child endangerment conviction may result in a state prison sentence of 2, 4, or 6 years.

Be sure that you have a competent criminal attorney at your side if you are facing allegations of child endangerment. Along with child abuse and all other forms of domestic violence, child endangerment is an extremely serious criminal charge that may result in an entirely changed life for you and your family.

Protect your future by contacting an Orange County child endangerment lawyer at the Law Offices of Fred Thiagarajah today.